


Same Hat!

by esperink



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz
Genre: Aromantic Character, Aromantic Jeremy Heere, Asexual Character, Gen, Pre-Canon, another day another tag to start
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 18:39:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17667989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/esperink/pseuds/esperink
Summary: Google can be pretty helpful.





	Same Hat!

**Author's Note:**

> me, before even showing anyone: this is bad writing  
> stabitha, essentially, before even reading this: lies

“Hey, why’re you wearing that?”

Michael looked up from his phone. “What?”

“That.” Jeremy pointed to the black ring that had appeared on Michael’s hand. He hadn’t seen it before. 

Michael fiddled with it a moment. “I’ll uh… tell you later, buddy.” He pat Jeremy’s shoulder firmly before sliding his headphones on. 

Jeremy looked out the bus window.

* * *

 

It appeared that Michael had forgotten about it, later that afternoon. Jeremy had too, but he saw the ring again when Michael waved goodbye to him after dropping him off at home after hanging out.

Jeremy stood in the living room for a moment, considering things. He went to his room and sat down at his desk, opening his laptop. Exiting out of the tabs from that morning, he opened a new window and went to Google.

_ What does a black ring mean _

There had to be a reason for the ring, Jeremy figured, because Michael never wore jewelry unless it was one of those bracelets that he could mess with, like the zipper or beads.

He skimmed through the results and then went back to the search engine.

_ what is asexuality _

* * *

 

“I thought you were gay?” Jeremy blurted out when they sat down in Michael’s basement the next day.

Michael choked on his slushy. “What?”

The thought had been at the back of Jeremy’s mind most of the day. Michael had come out to Jeremy during the summer, so why was this different?

He also couldn’t find a way to backtrack, so he continued. “I thought you were gay.”

“I am.”

Jeremy furrowed his brow.

Michael sighed and set down his controller. “Uh…” He scratched his ear and then fiddled with his ring. “Things don’t always match up, I guess? I have romantic feelings for other guys but… nothing else for anyone else.”

“Oh,” Jeremy said, not fully understanding, but he picked up his controller and chose his character anyway.

* * *

 

**Michael: (5:36 PM)** split attraction

_ what is split attraction _

_ what is arospec _

_ what is aromantic _

_ what is compulsory heterosexuality _

_ is there a black ring for aromantic _

“Hey dad?”

“Yeah, son?”

“I’ll be back. I’m going to the mall.”

* * *

 

“Oh, cool,” Michael said, nodding in approval.

Jeremy looked up from fiddling with his ring. He smiled, somewhat relieved.

Michael’s moms wanted help cleaning, so Michael and Jeremy both took off their rings and placed them on the counter for safekeeping. 

They’d forgotten about them until Michael was about to take Jeremy home. They’d stepped outside the house when Michael’s Ma called, “Boys! Your rings.”

“Augh!” Michael said, before running back inside to grab them. He came back out and gave Jeremy his white ring, while sliding the black one back on his own finger. 

“Do they?” Jeremy asked, not finishing his question, but to the point where Michael could understand.

“Yeah.”

“Are they?” Jeremy wanted to know if Michael’s moms were okay with it.

Michael grinned. “Yeah.”

* * *

 

Jeremy usually tried to avoid people at school, even if it might be a little difficult. He couldn’t even get to his locker, though, because there were girls standing in front of it, gossiping. He sighed and turned away, but he bumped into Rich, which resulted in the bully defacing his backpack. 

Jeremy grimaced, but didn’t check the backpack, too busy making sure he didn’t bump into anyone else. He just wanted to make it through the day. 

He spotted the after school play sign ups, and got excited, before remembering that someone would likely say something. He sighed and took another turn.

Christine. He wanted to go up and talk to her. She always seemed friendly and he wanted to be her friend. Michael couldn’t always be his only friend, after all.

He started walking towards her but when she turned, he did the same, turning away to not get caught.

“Excuse me?”

He turned back to her. “Y-yeah?”

“I think someone wrote ‘boyf’ on your backpack?” Christine pointed at the offending bag.

Jeremy took it off his shoulders and looked at it, then looked back at Christine, before stammering and running away.

“Totally chill,” he muttered to himself.

* * *

 

“You don’t have to do this,” Michael said, as they stood outside the classroom for the after school play. There was a pause. “Of course, I’ll mock you forever if you don’t.” He grinned pat Jeremy’s cheek with his hand.

Jeremy rolled his eyes, but got up the courage to go inside. 

After an awkward greeting between himself and Christine, he sat down, cursing himself.

Christine started talking again, going on about how much she loved play rehearsal. “Life is easy in rehearsal,” she continued, when she had moved closer and crouched next to him. She made a grand gesture with her hands, hands open and splayed. 

A white ring caught his eye, and suddenly he wasn’t thinking about how much Christine loved play rehearsal, he was thinking about his own ring, as he started to fiddle with it.

She asked a question, and he tuned in back long enough to process it and make a gesture of agreement. 

And then she stopped. “Oh!” she said instead of continuing. She held up her hand, and this time Jeremy clearly saw the white ring. She looked at him expectantly so he did the same. Christine grinned at him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> me: I have about two weeks to finish my bmc big bang.
> 
> me: *writes this instead*
> 
> come yell at me on tumblr: esperinkdraws


End file.
